The coronavirus has utterly remade the face of America in 2020, annihilating many aspects of everyday life in a sudden and unexpected way. And while the loss of the postseason for major sports leagues isn’t top of mind for most people, it still represents a painful step.

However, while the pain for sports fans is missing out on the excitement of postseasons, for the athletes themselves it’s also a loss on income. Income that might not be a lot in the context of star players’ massive salaries, but it’s easy to forget there’s a lot more at stake for the role players who often make up significant portions of rosters. For someone making the league minimum, say, while also dealing with virtually zero job security in a field where most careers won’t last into a second decade, playoff checks can be an essential boost to their finances.

That’s why GOBankingRates laid out exactly how much pro athletes will miss out on come playoff time if their leagues are unable to hold games. That includes both the per-team (or per-player, for the NFL) payouts for each round and the total money earned by each playoff team, using the most recent figures from the 2019 seasons. So, take a closer look at how a canceled postseason might affect the finances of the world’s best athletes.

Pictured: Washington Nationals’ Juan Soto

1/58

Alena Veasey / Shutterstock.com

NFL

The NFL plans to continue with the draft as scheduled and the fact that the season doesn’t start for months means they might still be able to go forward with their playoffs as scheduled. Ultimately, though, that hinges on how effectively the country can arrest the spread of coronavirus.

The NFL playoff roster includes 53 players and is paid out on a per-player basis, making it unique as the other three major American sports leagues pay bonuses to the team and allow them to divvy it up. Should the NFL manage to play a normal playoffs in 2021, the expected per-player bonus pay would be:

Kansas City Chiefs

Player’s total playoff earnings: $211,000

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $211,000

Potential earnings achieved: 100.00%

Pictured: Patrick Mahomes

14/58

tookapic / Pixabay

NBA

Winter leagues that typically hold their playoffs in the late spring and early summer are the ones most likely to be forced into a complete cancelation. And while a number of interesting ideas have been bandied about regarding how to potentially hold an abbreviated event after it’s safe to do so, it seems unlikely at this point that NBA players can count on the extra earnings.

Here’s a look at what each NBA team would have split for reaching and/or advancing in the playoffs:

NHL

Like the NBA, NHL players were just gearing up for a final playoff push when the need to cancel public events made it impossible for the season to continue. They’re lucky enough to have completed most of a season prior to cancelation, but those who might have been en route for the postseason are missing out on more than a chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup. Here’s what playoff bonuses look like for NHL teams:

MLB

No group of pro athletes stands to lose more due to the coronavirus pandemic than baseball players. While players in the NFL can at least hold out hopes that things will improve enough by the fall, and NBA and NHL players at least completed a majority of their seasons prior to seeing things shut down, baseball players were just arriving for spring training when it became clear that the regular season was not going to start on time — if at all.

It’s still possible the MLB will be able to hold a partial regular season and postseason, but if they don’t, here’s what each team would have received in playoff bonuses:

Wild-card losers: $1,212,917

Division series losers: $2,627,987

League championship series losers: $9,703,337

World Series loser: $19,406,675

World Series winner: $29,110,012

49/58

John Froschauer/AP / Shutterstock.com

Oakland A's

Team’s total playoff earnings: $1,212,917

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 4.17%

Average earnings for each player: $15,932

Pictured: Matt Chapman, left, Matt Olson, center, and Jesus Luzardo

50/58

David Zalubowski/AP / Shutterstock.com

Milwaukee Brewers

Team’s total playoff earnings: $1,212,917

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 4.17%

Average earnings for each player: $15,932

Pictured: Lorenzo Cain

51/58

John Minchillo/AP / Shutterstock.com

Atlanta Braves

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Ozzie Albies

52/58

Mark J Terrill/AP / Shutterstock.com

Los Angeles Dodgers

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Clayton Kershaw

53/58

Elise Amendola/AP / Shutterstock.com

Tampa Bay Rays

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Ji-Man Choi

54/58

Frank Franklin II/AP / Shutterstock.com

Minnesota Twins

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Miguel Sano, left, and Max Kepler

55/58

JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock.com

New York Yankees

Team’s total playoff earnings: $9,703,337

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 33.33%

Average earnings for each player: $127,453

Pictured: Gerrit Cole

56/58

Jeff Roberson/AP / Shutterstock.com

St. Louis Cardinals

Team’s total playoff earnings: $9,703,337

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 33.33%

Average earnings for each player: $127,453

Pictured: Yadier Molina

57/58

Nick Wass/AP / Shutterstock.com

Houston Astros

Team’s total playoff earnings: $19,406,675

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 66.67%

Average earnings for each player: $254,905

Pictured: Justin Verlander

58/58

David J Phillip/AP / Shutterstock.com

Washington Nationals

Team’s total playoff earnings: $29,110,012

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 100.00%

Average earnings for each player: $382,358

Pictured: The Washington Nationals celebrate after winning Game 7 of the 2019 World Series against the Houston Astros.

Methodology: GOBankingRates looked at collective bargaining agreements and players playoff benefit pools across the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to determine how much players make for their league’s respective playoffs. Using these sources from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, GOBankingrates found the following for each league’s most recent playoff teams: (1) total postseason earnings; (2) total potential postseason earning for each team; (3) percent of potential postseason earnings achieved; and (4) average postseason earning for each individual player. All data was collected on and up to date as of March 23, 2020.

About the Author

Joel Anderson is a business and finance writer with over a decade of experience writing about the wide world of finance. Based in Los Angeles, he specializes in writing about the financial markets, stocks, macroeconomic concepts and focuses on helping make complex financial concepts digestible for the retail investor.

The coronavirus has utterly remade the face of America in 2020, annihilating many aspects of everyday life in a sudden and unexpected way. And while the loss of the postseason for major sports leagues isn’t top of mind for most people, it still represents a painful step.

However, while the pain for sports fans is missing out on the excitement of postseasons, for the athletes themselves it’s also a loss on income. Income that might not be a lot in the context of star players’ massive salaries, but it’s easy to forget there’s a lot more at stake for the role players who often make up significant portions of rosters. For someone making the league minimum, say, while also dealing with virtually zero job security in a field where most careers won’t last into a second decade, playoff checks can be an essential boost to their finances.

That’s why GOBankingRates laid out exactly how much pro athletes will miss out on come playoff time if their leagues are unable to hold games. That includes both the per-team (or per-player, for the NFL) payouts for each round and the total money earned by each playoff team, using the most recent figures from the 2019 seasons. So, take a closer look at how a canceled postseason might affect the finances of the world’s best athletes.

Pictured: Washington Nationals’ Juan Soto

Alena Veasey / Shutterstock.com

1. NFL

The NFL plans to continue with the draft as scheduled and the fact that the season doesn’t start for months means they might still be able to go forward with their playoffs as scheduled. Ultimately, though, that hinges on how effectively the country can arrest the spread of coronavirus.

The NFL playoff roster includes 53 players and is paid out on a per-player basis, making it unique as the other three major American sports leagues pay bonuses to the team and allow them to divvy it up. Should the NFL manage to play a normal playoffs in 2021, the expected per-player bonus pay would be:

13. Kansas City Chiefs

Player’s total playoff earnings: $211,000

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $211,000

Potential earnings achieved: 100.00%

Pictured: Patrick Mahomes

tookapic / Pixabay

14. NBA

Winter leagues that typically hold their playoffs in the late spring and early summer are the ones most likely to be forced into a complete cancelation. And while a number of interesting ideas have been bandied about regarding how to potentially hold an abbreviated event after it’s safe to do so, it seems unlikely at this point that NBA players can count on the extra earnings.

Here’s a look at what each NBA team would have split for reaching and/or advancing in the playoffs:

31. NHL

Like the NBA, NHL players were just gearing up for a final playoff push when the need to cancel public events made it impossible for the season to continue. They’re lucky enough to have completed most of a season prior to cancelation, but those who might have been en route for the postseason are missing out on more than a chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup. Here’s what playoff bonuses look like for NHL teams:

48. MLB

No group of pro athletes stands to lose more due to the coronavirus pandemic than baseball players. While players in the NFL can at least hold out hopes that things will improve enough by the fall, and NBA and NHL players at least completed a majority of their seasons prior to seeing things shut down, baseball players were just arriving for spring training when it became clear that the regular season was not going to start on time — if at all.

It’s still possible the MLB will be able to hold a partial regular season and postseason, but if they don’t, here’s what each team would have received in playoff bonuses:

Wild-card losers: $1,212,917

Division series losers: $2,627,987

League championship series losers: $9,703,337

World Series loser: $19,406,675

World Series winner: $29,110,012

John Froschauer/AP / Shutterstock.com

49. Oakland A's

Team’s total playoff earnings: $1,212,917

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 4.17%

Average earnings for each player: $15,932

Pictured: Matt Chapman, left, Matt Olson, center, and Jesus Luzardo

David Zalubowski/AP / Shutterstock.com

50. Milwaukee Brewers

Team’s total playoff earnings: $1,212,917

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 4.17%

Average earnings for each player: $15,932

Pictured: Lorenzo Cain

John Minchillo/AP / Shutterstock.com

51. Atlanta Braves

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Ozzie Albies

Mark J Terrill/AP / Shutterstock.com

52. Los Angeles Dodgers

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Clayton Kershaw

Elise Amendola/AP / Shutterstock.com

53. Tampa Bay Rays

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Ji-Man Choi

Frank Franklin II/AP / Shutterstock.com

54. Minnesota Twins

Team’s total playoff earnings: $2,627,987

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 9.03%

Average earnings for each player: $34,518

Pictured: Miguel Sano, left, and Max Kepler

JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE / Shutterstock.com

55. New York Yankees

Team’s total playoff earnings: $9,703,337

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 33.33%

Average earnings for each player: $127,453

Pictured: Gerrit Cole

Jeff Roberson/AP / Shutterstock.com

56. St. Louis Cardinals

Team’s total playoff earnings: $9,703,337

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 33.33%

Average earnings for each player: $127,453

Pictured: Yadier Molina

Nick Wass/AP / Shutterstock.com

57. Houston Astros

Team’s total playoff earnings: $19,406,675

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 66.67%

Average earnings for each player: $254,905

Pictured: Justin Verlander

David J Phillip/AP / Shutterstock.com

58. Washington Nationals

Team’s total playoff earnings: $29,110,012

Potential earnings at the start of playoffs: $29,110,012

Potential earnings achieved: 100.00%

Average earnings for each player: $382,358

Pictured: The Washington Nationals celebrate after winning Game 7 of the 2019 World Series against the Houston Astros.

Methodology: GOBankingRates looked at collective bargaining agreements and players playoff benefit pools across the four major U.S. professional sports leagues to determine how much players make for their league’s respective playoffs. Using these sources from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, GOBankingrates found the following for each league’s most recent playoff teams: (1) total postseason earnings; (2) total potential postseason earning for each team; (3) percent of potential postseason earnings achieved; and (4) average postseason earning for each individual player. All data was collected on and up to date as of March 23, 2020.

About the Author

Joel Anderson is a business and finance writer with over a decade of experience writing about the wide world of finance. Based in Los Angeles, he specializes in writing about the financial markets, stocks, macroeconomic concepts and focuses on helping make complex financial concepts digestible for the retail investor.

Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the offers appearing on this site are from advertisers from which this website receives compensation for being listed here. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). These offers do not represent all deposit accounts available.